1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hinge technology, and more particularly to an electronic device and hinge assembly, which includes an electronic device body including a base and a main unit, and hinge devices to pivotally connect the base and main unit of the electronic device body, wherein each hinge device consists of a pivot shaft, a friction wheel set and a damper for allowing adjustment of the angular position of the main unit relative to the base smoothly and stably through a series of angles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following fast development of electronic technology, advanced electronic apparatus having the characteristics of strong operational capabilities, high operating speed and small size have been continuously created. With the popularity of computers and networks, most general family or company will use computers and the Internet. Even in the shops, restaurants and other places, we can see the use of computers and the Internet. Further, the retailing industry is moving toward the chain system. Many retail operators adopt point of sales management system (POS), electronic ordering system (EOS) or computer assisted ordering system for registering and calculating transactions, scanning barcodes, drawing up invoices or receipts, ordering, providing the latest news, analyzing and handling product information, membership information and sales data, saving a large amount of manpower and operating costs.
Further, various different designs of hinge devices are known and widely used in electronic devices to pivotally connect a display device, face panel or outer cover to a mainframe or base, allowing adjustment of the angular position of the display device, face panel or outer cover relative to the mainframe or base. However, a user may apply excessive force to turn the display device, face panel or outer cover relative to the mainframe or base over the limited range of angles, leading to internal flexible circuit board or bus line damage. Further, if the user closes the display device face panel or outer cover on the mainframe or base in a rush, the display device face panel or outer cover can be crushed. There are improved designs of hinge devices capable of providing high torque, however, these improved designs of hinge devices commonly have a complicated structure, and their fabrication requires high precision. Thus, these improved designs of hinge devices are not suitable for mass fabrication, and their manufacturing cost is inevitably high.